A Vast Wasteland
Topic: media
Back in the 1950's someone described TV as a "vast Wasteland". Keep in mind this was back when there were only 3 channels and everything had a script. Nowadays you have over 100 channels, mostly drivel. I watch 2 hours a week, unless there's a special on the History Channel. I find that there's nothing on. What used to be funny sitcoms have been replaced with game shows, reality shows (which don't seem very real to me), and police drama. What's next, a reality show about a group of people dreaming up the next reality show? Or what about a house full of cops who play games? We could call it "Law and Order House".
TV news isn't any better. It's mostly driven by soundbites, and every move made by a celebrity passes as news these days. Last year a CNN anchorwoman refused to to a lead story about Paris Hilton. Or was it Brittney Spears? Does it matter? Coverage of a Republican debate centered around Mitt Romney's hair. Lost in all the fluff of the debates: the issues! We had Romney and McCain arguing in circles about who said what about leaving in Iraq (their arguement sounded more like an agreeance to me) while Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee could've been putting on a magic show trying to get some attention.
Seen any good movies lately that you haven't seen before? Me neither. It's either a remake of an earlier movie (because I can do it better!), a movie based on a TV show from at least 20 years ago, or your standard fare action movie which uses the same plot as all the others. Oh, I almost forgot the Hugh Grant romantic comedy. If I see one more break-up caused by a tragic misunderstanding....
What's on tonight? Let me know what you're watching and if it's any good.
The Green Hornet
Topic: Days of Jeff's Life
The Green Hornet rides again! That's what the Dude I work with is calling DQ's riding mower. Actually, it's not his. He just "worked on it" for 6 weeks. DQ likes to make a little money doing odd jobs here and there, mostly using Camp Lakeview equipment. Like the time he said, "When will you guys get your pressure washer fixed? I have a couple people I need to pressure wash for."
And so it was with the Green Hornet. It was Mother's Day when we first noticed it, up on milk crates like the ghetto of the ghetto. The neighbor (it was on her lot) said, "DQ got me a Mother's Day present." It actually spent more time out of the 6 weeks sitting there than getting "fixed". After about a month, DQ got it to the point where it was running. So he'd drive around the park towing DQ Minor in his little truck.
OK, DQ you got it fixed, now give it back! Wait, there's more! He has to drive it in the grass and turf us. Then he can go back to "fixing" it. Time to test the blade. Mow one section of grass (not a whole area) so it's shorter than everything else and stupid looking.
Last week he was drenched in sweat with his hair slicked back. He was in a rush because the guy wanted his mower back. Only 4 weeks after DQ said he worked on it for 6 hours and "fixed" it. It's leaking fuel! SO he sub-contracted one of the neighbors. The next day, it was leaking again. "The neighbor did it wrong" was the excuse, but it looked like someone cut the plug that stopped the original leak. So where do I find DQ? Rooting through the Camp Lakeview workshop.
What's next for DQ? Fixing the water pump on the Camp Lakeview excavator. I'm expecting that project to be done around the middle of July. Of 2010.
Best Corn Ever
Topic: food
Yesterday we had the best corn ever. Heather ordered an organic box from the co-op and we picked it up Saturday. I don't usually eat any corn on the cob except for local, and this was from California. But it was the organic and the BEST! It was super sweet and oh so crunchy. We also got some celery in our box and I had some in a stir fry tonight. It tasted like it had twice the flavor of regular celery. And the oranges were the sweetest, juiciest oranges ever. If you've never had organic food I highly recommend it. It's more expensive, BUT it tastes better and you can actually save money because you eat less but feel full. Check out your local farmers market or health food store. Chances are the farmers market won't be certified organic, but will be pretty much all natural. Plus, the farmers market is local produce so with the shorter ride from farm to belly it will taste better. Feel free to share your organic experiences!
Weekend Update
Topic: random
Hot hot hot! 80's and 90's today. Heather and Alicia went swimming in the lake. We had hot dogs, chicken, and steak on the grill. Everything was grilled to perfection. Our plan for today was a cruise across the lake on the peddleboat. After draining the water from inside, the rudder kept coming loose. All the boat did was spin in circles. No cruise for us. Later today we'll let Lucy swim in the smaller lake, set back in the woods.
Baseball Fever- Catch It!
Topic: sports
It must be June. The phirst place Phillies are in a phree phall. It's almost an annual tradition in Philly. This year's edition has a catch- the rest of the division is so underachieving they haven't caught up yet. I predict the Braves will be on top by August.
A few days ago I saw Shawn Chacon of the Astros got into some deep doodoo for choke-slamming his GM. Naturally, I was upset and I hoped he would get the most severe punishment allowed by law. Then I read the story and saw the GM was Ed Wade, who formerly held the same position with the Phillies. Instantly my thought changed to "Finally! Someone did it!" As a Phillies fan, I myself wanted to choke the man for years. His signature move was to trade for a 38 year old relief pitcher at the deadline as his way of pushing a team that was just a few games back.
If you're a fan of the TriCounty League in PA, there's a bit of a shake-up. First, the old Milford team got kicked out of the league for using an illegal player last year. No doubt they pulled a guy off the street when they only had 8 of their own players show for a game. Too bad for the rest of league- there go 3 or 4 easy wins. Next, we have the Northern Yakees atop the standings, a place usually reserved for Gabelsville, Limeport, and the Fleetwings. What's next, a win for the Sox?
I'm throwing away my vote this year
I’m throwing away my vote this year. And you should too. I know it’s only June and there’s still almost 4 months until the election but I’ve decided NOT to vote for any of the following, and I’ll state my reasons: Chuck Baldwin, Bob Barr, John McCain, Ralph Nader, and Barak Obama.
First: Chuck Baldwin, Constitution Party. Pastor Chuck is a wonderful, upstanding guy. But he won’t get my vote. Despite my strong belief in the Constitution and my desire for the government to try following it, I can’t vote for Pastor Chuck. I looked into the CP and their party platform is too Bible-thumping. I have nothing against Jesus, but there are more than just Christians in this country and they seem to want a return to the Constitution without the separation of church and state.
Second: Bob Barr, Libertarian Party. A favorite among Ron Paulites, Bob Barr loses my vote for 2 reasons. First, he spent too many years pushing the war on drugs, which is ineffectual and cost-inefficient (another story for another time). Then, he voted in favor of the Patriot Act, a virtual death sentence for the Bill of Rights. He claims to have changed his positions, but is he really a neo-con tool for taking over the LP?
Third: John McCain, Republican Party. Barring a minor- OK, major miracle, Mighty Mac will get the party’s nomination in September. Despite underwhelming support. Why not vote for him? Where to start! Tops on my list is he pretty much guarantees a 3rd term for Bush. Then there’s the campaign finance issue. He doesn’t seem to understand a law he himself wrote. He opted for matching public campaign funds, which gave him automatic ballot access in all 50 states. Then he withdrew so he wouldn’t be limited in how much money he could raise. But stayed on the ballot in all 50 states. Lazy mo-fo. He touts his leadership experience. Do we want as our leader a man who is thus far the ONLY American NAVAL officer ever to be captured by GROUND forces? Do we want as our leader someone who sings “Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Iran”? That sounds funny coming from a stand-up comedian but from someone who wants to be President? What kind of message does that send to the world?
Fourth: Ralph Nader, Independent candidate. Ever see a Corvair? Want to know who killed it? Look no further than consumer advocate Ralph Nader. His book “Unsafe at Any Speed” destroyed the Corvair. It was based on lies. I don’t want a nanny-stater for President. Plus, don’t you think he’s run enough times to know how to win?
Fifth: Barak Obama, Democratic Party. In the epic battle of Clueless vs. Evil, Clueless came out on top. I guess there are more clueless people than evil in this country. If you’ve ever heard Barak Obama speak, you fall into one of two categories: either you love his message or you’re still waiting to hear it. He combines the energetic speech of Martin Luther King with the charisma of John F Kennedy to captivate audiences but manages to say nothing of substance. He offers us “change” and “hope”. Change what? Hope for what? Hope for change? I question his dedication to America. Wearing a flag pin is just a gesture, but he refuses to do it. He doesn’t cover his heart for the Pledge of Allegiance. He spent 25 years listening to anti-American sermons at his church yet knew nothing about the content. Oh, and let’s not forget his legislative accomplishments. What are they? No one seems to know. But as a Democrat, you know he HAS to be a socialist.
Having said all that, the obvious winner of the election will be either McCain or Obama. So if you like to vote based on who is more likely to win, pick one of those. But if you vote correctly, voting for the best candidate, sadly, you won’t have that option this year. As far as I’m concerned there is once again no one worth voting for.
So, you wonder, how am I throwing my vote away? Laugh if you want to, but I am writing in Ron Paul. Yes, the weird, crazy nutty guy. Wait, he can’t be that out there if I’m the smartest guy you know and I’m voting for him. So why isn’t he getting the Republican nomination this year? Because we like paying income taxes, we love the national debt, we want open borders, Iraqis love us, Iran is inviting us over for tea, the government isn’t big enough or doing enough for us, and we wipe our asses on the Constitution.
The Supremes get it right!
Topic: government issues
Today the Supreme Court ruled that yes, you do have the right to bear arms. Finally, some good news from the same court that ruled that the government can take your home and let developers have it. The Washington, DC ban on handguns has been struck down. The Bill of Rights was written in 1790 and the Second Amendment has been the most debated in the 20th century. Until recently no one gave gun ownership a second thought. But now with murders going on all over the place and a police state looming, are guns all they're cracked up to be? First let's look at the Second Ammendment itself. "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." Some take this to mean that only militia members (law enforcement and national guard) should have guns. Others only look at the second half- the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Go back to 1790 with me for a second. What is the 1790 definition of "militia"? Every able-bodied male 16-64. Why do these folks need to be armed? The ever-looming threat of Indian attack, maybe pirates, or a slave uprising. Who knows, maybe the British will change their minds on that whole Treaty of Paris thing. Back to the future. Are any of these concerns still valid? No, I hope not. But does that mean we should all give up our guns? No. The police-staters would like that. But then all the guns would be in the hands of either the police, or the criminals. I'm not taking my chances on the police protecting me. They don't usually show up until after a crime. Instead of "protecting" everyone by getting rid of guns (if you're a criminal, why would stop shy of breaking the "you can't have a gun" law if it doesn't bother you to steal or kill?) I say get more guns out there! Sure there will be a bunch of idiots shooting everything that moves but I think crime will go down. Who wants to rob someone who might have an even bigger gun? The Virginia Tech shooting is a prime example of why everyone should carry a gun. If the whole campus was armed do you think he would've killed over 30 people? Writing for the minority, (in)Justice Stephen Breyer said, "In my view, there is simply no untouchable constitutional right guaranteed by the Second Amendment to keep loaded handguns in the house in crime-ridden urban areas." Why not? Don't we have a right to self-defense? Maybe he'd like to live a block away from the Capitol WITHOUT a gun and see how long until he changes his mind. Your thoughts?
Name that site
I'm having a contest to come up with a new name for this blog and website. The Doghouse just isn't working for me anymore. Submit your ideas and the whoever comes up with the best name wins........something. If I get a couple suggesions I like I'll put it to a vote. Speaking of voting, did you vote for President on the main page yet?
Ever meet someone like this?
Topic: Days of Jeff's Life
One of the residents here at Camp Lakeview (henceforth known as "DQ", short for Drama Queen) is always getting himself into some sort of trouble. He doesn't grasp unintended consequences. Well, lately he's been wanting to get his kid a pet. So one day last week a dude I work with here was walking along and DQ pulls up next to him in his car. The kid is carrying on about something, but it sounded like DQ asked if he wanted some chicken. So the Dude asked what kind- BBQ, fried, ya know. DQ says they're all white. The Dude starts thinking white meat. So then DQ says he has 3 or 4 of them. THEM? So the Dude looks in the back seat and sees a box with a cover on it and some holes poked in it. DQ says he has to get rid of the chickens because the ammonia smell in his camper is driving him nuts. He honestly thought chickens would make a good house pet. As DQ always says, "You try to do something nice for someone..."
How hot do you like your coffee?
Topic: government issues
A few weeks ago I came across a news item. Here in the Puget Sound area the big thing is coffee. Served by scantily clad women. Well, this news item went on to state that there is a particular scantily clad women as coffee servers place nearby that was getting some complaints. There was a protest going on there that weekend, and the folks wanted the city of Bonney Lake to do something about these scantily clad women. From what I heard, it sounded like the issue was girls in bikinis. The solution was to have City Council come up with an ordinance that would require a dress code of some sort. Back the truck up, I said. The city can't enforce a dress code on private property. Next you won't bele to wear your bikini to the pool. Or purple shirts on Wednesday. So I went to the top for some answers. I emailed the mayor of Bonney Lake, Neil Johnson for his take. What I found out was shocking. According to Mayor Johnson the issue wasn't bikinis at all. It wasn't even this particular espresso stand. Rather, on the other side of town another espresso stand's baristas were outside wearing pasties. Espresso stand #1 just opened right as the controversy was brewing and folks from out of town were the ones taking issue there. What it all boils down to, according to Mayor Johnson, is "The concern of the City is not with bikinis but with the wearing of pasties over the nipple/areola area. We are not looking to legislate clothing of the baristas, but to determine if pasties are worn by a barista, should that be in an adult entertainment zone, is that considered nudity or is it allowed? When the bottom half of the breasts are exposed, what is that to be considered?" I'm all for less government interference on all levels, but if it becomes necessary to enter an adult entertainment zone to get coffee in Bonney Lake, I find no fault with the city this time.
